Tibor Nagy
|type of appearance = Direct |nationality = |birth = |death = |cause of death = }} |military branch = Hungarian People's Army ( ) |occupation = Soldier}}Tibor Nagy (c. 1930 - April 1951) was a soldier in the Hungarian People's Army in the first few months of World War III. Nagy was drafted into the army not long after the Soviet Union established government of the Hungarian People's Republic.Bombs Away, pg. 122, ebook. He endured the indoctrination imposed on him by the state, even with its obvious falsehoods.Ibid., pgs. 122-123. Nagy and his squad were mobilized after the United States and the Soviet Union traded atomic bomb attacks between 23 January and 1 February 1951. Like many soldiers in Soviet satellite countries, Nagy was armed with a variety of Soviet second-hand weapons and equipment.Ibid, pg. 66. The unit made its way west. Nagy and his fellows were astonished by Sgt. Gergely, who'd survived World War II and the purges of the communist government of the Hungarian People's Republic.Ibid., pgs. 66-67. On 15 February, Nagy's squad was positioned just outside Schmalkalden, East Germany, ready to cross the border. Word came that the U.S. had used an atomic bomb against several Eastern European cities, including the Hungarian city of Szekesfehervar‎‎. It fell to Nagy and his fellow private Istvan Szolovits to calm down a soldier who'd hailed from Szekesfehrervar. The way they handled the task impressed Sgt. Gergely.Ibid., pgs. 105-109. His squad went into West Germany two days later. The Hungarians were used to occupy areas the Soviets had already taken. A week after the invasion, Nagy's squad was assigned to Schweinfurt. They were warned against fraternization, and were subject to sneak attacks by the locals. The Hungarians used the tactic of seizing hostages and executing them when attacks took place. Nagy and Isztvan Szolovits were both assigned to periodic firing squad duties. Nagy hated it; the Jewish Szolovits hated it more, as this was the tactic used by the SS during the last war.Ibid., pgs. 123-124. During a U.S. bombing raid, Nagy pulled a driver from a burning truck and laid on top of him to try to put the fire out until two soldiers pour water on them both. Sgt. Gergely praised him for his presence of mind and promised him a promotion to lance corporal.Ibid., pgs. 124-125. With the arrival of Spring, Nagy's squad was moved out of Schweinfurt and towards the front. Upon reaching a bombed out village, the squad took cover. A Soviet officer approached Nagy and appeared to be giving some command. Nagy, who didn't speak Russian, answered in Magyar that he didn't understand, and asked for Sgt. Gergely. Gergely also spoke in Magyar, even when the Russian switched to German to order the men to the front, which Nagy understood. Gergely continued to profess ignorance, and the Russian gave up, leaving the Hungarians safe for the time being.Ibid. pgs. 188-192. The safety didn't last long. By April, Nagy and his squad had seen combat. Nagy himself was wounded: two grazes, but painful nonetheless. As they prepared for another attack, Nagy found himself alone with Isztvan Szolovits, who suggested that they surrender the first the chance they got. Nagy dismissed the idea, and warned Szolovits against anymore such talk. But he did give the idea more consideration than he let on.Ibid., pgs. 226-228. In the end, it didn't matter. During an attack on U.S. positions, an American appeared from an errant freezer standing on the battlefield, and shot Nagy dead.Ibid., pg. 228-229. References